The Ring From Brighton
by Eliza1984
Summary: Another My Fair Lady Fic. My take on the mysterious 6 weeks between Ascot and the Ball.


The morning after the Ascot fiasco, Higgins crept downstairs to his study. It was quite early but he had awoken before the entire household. Pickering had denounced the experiment and threatened not to continue, but he had finally relented, promising to give the experiment one last shot under the condition that if any other catastrophes occurred they would give up.

Henry Higgins had always enjoyed a challenge. His motivation in awakening so early was to prepare several new exercises for Eliza. It was now a matter of teaching her what to say (and what not to say) instead of how to say it. He opened the doors to his study, only to be surprised to see Eliza still in her Ascot gown sitting on the sofa.

"What on earth are you doing down here at 5 in the morning, Eliza?"

"I've not yet been to bed." She whispered, afraid to make eye contact with him.

"Well you'll regret that later this evening when we are working. Why don't you go on upstairs and try to get some rest?"

She looked at the professor with her doe brown eyes, still somewhat tearful. "Professor Higgins. I wish to leave. I am not capable of continuing."

"Oh tosh, of course you're capable of continuing. But if you really want to leave, there's the door." He gestured nonchalantly

Eliza was hurt. She despised his indifference towards her but at those rare moments where he praised her she felt so much warmth and pride that she continued to hang on despite the fact that all odds were against them. But in those moments where she needed his warmth the most, he usually treated her as though she were nothing. She rose off the chair and began to walk out the study door when Higgins called behind her,

"Where will you go Eliza Doolittle?"

She stopped. She hadn't thought of that. She paused in the doorway.

"I don't know, Professor. But I failed so miserably yesterday and I embarrassed you and the Colonel. So if you please, I think it's best if we don't continue this any further."

Higgins snorted. He hadn't been embarrassed at all. In fact he almost wish he had shouted out a profane sentence to break the air of stuffiness at Ascot. He despised the well to do set, even though he himself was rich. The rules of society were too restricting, which was the main reason he had taken on the bet to transform Eliza into a lady. What better way to breach the walls of hierarchy than to take someone from the bottom and boost her to the top?

"Oh Eliza, you fool. Do you really think anyone will remember this incident in a few weeks? Of course they won't. Someone else will do something much more scandalous and far more interesting and soon you will be forgotten. You have a chance to make yourself into something far better. That's why you came here in the first place, wasn't it?"

Eliza stared at Higgins. He had a way of wooing her with his words that she was not altogether comfortable with. Yes, she had come to him to become a better person, a lady who would be hired in florist shops without being turned away. But why she stayed when he was at his most abrasive was beyond her. She enjoyed their camaraderie, she enjoyed how he beamed when she got something right after hours of work, but she found him harsh and unfeeling. It was as if he saw her only as an experiment when somewhere in her subconscious (though Eliza would never admit it to herself) she wished he would see her as a woman.

She sighed. "I will stay."

"Yes, that's a good girl. Now run upstairs and get a few hours rest. I want you down here and ready to work by 10."

Eliza said nothing but silently walked up the stairs to her room.

Higgins closed the study door behind her and walked over to his desk. The girl was not as animated as she normally had been. She would need something to rejuvenate her. He thought for a minute drumming his fingers against the desktop. He suddenly beamed. A holiday, perhaps? Higgins himself never liked to travel, but he thought that perhaps of change of scenery might do everyone a bit of good.

'Yes, that might do the trick.' He thought proudly

* * *

He allowed Eliza to sleep in a little later than intended and sent a telegram to his mother. She promptly hurried over to 27A Wimpole Street to find her son and the Colonel in the study enjoying a delicious lunch.

"What is all this about taking a holiday with the girl. I thought you had given this madness up?" Mrs. Higgins removed her hat.

"Give up? Never!" Higgins boasted triumphantly

"Where is the girl now?" Mrs. Higgins asked

"Sleeping, peacefully. She was rather exhausted last night." Pickering sipped his coffee.

"I'd imagine so. Why on earth are you taking your live doll on a holiday?"

Pickering glanced at Mrs. Higgins "I do believe your son is attempting to woo Miss Doolittle so he can win this confounded bet."

"Oh nonsense Pickering. I fear the trip might do us all good. And mother I asked you to come because you certainly know more about togs and what sort of gowns the ladies will be wearing this season. I fear Pickering and I have failed at that on more than one occasion."

Mrs. Higgins covered her face "Oh I can't believe I am consenting to this. I like the girl and what you've been putting her through is inhumane."

Higgins chose to ignore that remark and thankfully Eliza bounded in the study, face flushed with small lines indicating that she had just awoken.

"Ah! Good afternoon Miss Doolittle." Pickering stood up

"I'm so sorry I slept so late. Professor Higgins, Mrs. Pearce just came into my chambers and began packing my things. Where are you sending me?" Eliza looked genuinely concerned.

Mrs. Higgins stepped in. "Oh no, my dear. We are taking a little holiday. Clearly the stress of this experiment has everybody's nerves on end."

"A Holiday? Where?" Eliza looked baffled.

"Brighton," Said the Colonel "It's really quite a lovely city."

Higgins snorted "Lovely."

Mrs. Higgins raised her eyebrow at her son "Don't let Henry fool you, my dear. This was all his idea."

Eliza smirked "Indeed."

Higgins stopped sifting through his planner and stared at Eliza who immediately bowed her head. He sighed. "I simply can not find the reservations. A boy from the station just brought them over."

Eliza walked over to the piano and lifted the top of it. She pulled out several papers, including the reservation and a season subscription to the Opera. Higgins grasped both items in his hand.

"I've been looking for this subscription for months now. How did you know where to find it?"

"The piano, professor. It's where you always put things when you aren't thinking about it." Eliza walked out of the room and headed back to her bedroom.

Higgins set both papers on his desk. Mrs. Higgins clasped her hands together. The girl knew Henry better than one would give her credit for.

"It seems you have a fantastic secretary, Henry. You should start giving her a stipend once this whole thing is over."

Higgins walked outside. It was a surprisingly sunny day, a good day for travel. The motorcar was waiting for them, but the rest of the company lagged behind. He checked over his shoulders every few seconds, growing more impatient with the lot as time passed. He was almost ready to turn around and fetch them when he heard a deep voice behind him.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Higgins turned around to see the young Eynsford-Hill boy behind him, nervously wringing his hands together. He sighed in exasperation.

"Yes, what it is?"

"I was coming to see your niece, sir."

"My what?"

"Miss Doolittle. I naturally assumed she was family of some sort."

Higgins continued to talk to Freddy in a harsh tone "Oh her? No. She's just some baggage I picked up."

A look of horror crossed Freddy's face. Fortunately, Mrs. Higgins had stepped out in time to witness the scene. She stepped forward.

"Ah. You'll have to forgive my son Freddy. He has a very cruel sense of humor. Miss Doolittle is a relation of Colonel Pickering."

Henry started to call her a liar, but he thought better of it. Freddy's expression relaxed.

"Oh, how awfully funny. I'm not accustomed to this new sense of humor. Anyways, I wanted to deliver this to her." Freddy pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Mrs. Higgins.

"I will be certain to see that this is delivered in Miss Doolittle's hands."

Freddy paused a moment to see if Eliza was going to come outside. Higgins cleared his throat very loudly, causing the lad to jump.

"Oh thank you both very much." He quickly darted down the street

Mrs. Higgins smiled. Almost instantly the Colonel and Eliza came out the front door. She was smiling and laughing, the first time she had in some hours since the Ascot incident. The Colonel extended his arm to Eliza, she took it graciously and they walked down the stairs to the motorcar.

"Are we quite set?" The Colonel asked, assisting the girl in the car.

"As well as we can be, I suppose." Higgins played with the rim of his hat.

As the car started down the road, Mrs. Higgins handed Eliza the letter. She tore it open and began reading. She started to blush. Freddy was writing of his undying love for the girl, how her antics had bewitched him. Intrigued by the roses in her cheek, Higgins ripped the letter from Eliza's hands.

"Henry!" protested Mrs. Higgins

Henry looked over the letter, and then folded it over handing back to Eliza. "That simpleton misspelled Aphrodite."

Eliza yanked the letter angrily from him and crossed her arms. Mrs. Higgins and the Colonel sighed. This was not shaping up to be a very pleasant ride and it had only just begun.

* * *

Some hours later, the four arrived in Brighton at a large hotel near the seashore. As she stepped out into the warm sun, Eliza felt her irritations melt away. The waves crashed against the shore. The Colonel went into the lobby to sort out the reservations and Mrs. Higgins began to summon a bellhop to carry the things up to the suites.

Eliza walked away from the car and began to walk towards the seaside. Higgins noticed her drifting away and followed her closely, keeping a few steps behind her. He had grabbed her hat from the seat of the car and finally caught up to her.

"You'll turn as brown as Othello without this." He said handing her the hat.

Eliza sighed. It was another literary reference she did not understand. But she mumbled a polite thank you and placed the straw bonnet on top of her head, lacing the ribbon under her chin.

She continued to walk on towards the sea with Higgins at her side. Staring straight ahead, she closed her eyes and inhaled the salty air. It smelled so much fresher than London.

"I've never seen the sea before." She confessed

Higgins kicked some of the sand around at his feet. "I've never been partial to it.  
It's too sandy, and far too uncomfortable."

"Indeed?" and with that Eliza sat on a bench nearby, kicked off her shoes and dug her feet into the sand. Partly because she wanted to and partly because she knew it would irritate Higgins.

He sat next to her, amused. "You're going to cause a spectacle showing your ankles off in the middle of the afternoon. Then you're going to lose my bet for me because Pickering won't have any more of it."

Eliza relished the feeling of the sand on her bare feet. There was no one near them so she did not mind ignoring Higgins.

"I shall never be able to turn you into a lady." Higgins murmured, but his tone was not one of annoyance. He didn't seem to mind too terribly.

At the top of the hill, they saw Mrs. Higgins waving them on. Their suites were ready. Eliza slipped her shoes back on and the two walked up the hill to the hotel.

The suites were unlike anything Eliza had ever seen. One could surely make a home in this sort of luxury. There was a mahogany mantle over the fireplace and a large bed made of the softest down Eliza had ever felt. A canopy enclosed the bed, which was surrounded by a wall of ornate mirrors. The lives of the wealthy never failed to fascinate her. She shared a suite with Mrs. Higgins, who had her own bedroom. Eliza waltzed into the bathroom and marveled at the large claw foot tub and the basket of small soaps shaped like roses.

"Lovely." She whispered.

Mrs. Higgins tapped politely on the door.

"Eliza dear, my son wishes to see you. We are going to dine in the gentleman's suite this evening."

"I'll be right along." Eliza stepped out into her room and gave herself a final glance in one of the mirrors, before heading across the hall.

When she entered the room, she saw Higgins with his feet propped up, reading a newspaper. One of Henry's favorite past times was counting the grammatical errors in any given paper and sending a letter containing the errors to the Editor-in-Chief. He saw the girl come in and he motioned her to sit down.

"Now, Eliza. This 6-week period begins the refinement of your skills. I've got to train you in court behavior. There are proper ways to address royalty and we must instruct you on each of these. The Colonel will also be instructing you in dance; the waltz and what have you."

Eliza sighed impatiently. She longed for the day she could eat a meal in peace. She started to take a bite of the salmon on her plate, but before she could Higgins was motioning for her to follow him. The next hour was spent drilling her on titles while Mrs. Higgins and the Colonel enjoyed their meals. Anytime Eliza missed one, Higgins forced her to start at the beginning.

"Really Henry, you must let the girl eat. She's already no thicker than an ivy vine." Mrs. Higgins pleaded her case.

Higgins groaned "She can eat when she does it correctly. Other wise she would have no motivation."

Eliza stared at the Professor coldly. She was exhausted and hungry and the smell of the food was making it hard to concentrate. She rubbed her temples as they began again: Duke, Duchess, Ambassador, Lord, Lady.

"And the Queen of Transylvania?" Higgins prompted

Eliza gave a small curtsey and bowed her head.

"That's the girl. Now go eat your dinner."

Eliza had lost her appetite. She felt like a dog being trained and bribed with sweet meats. Mrs. Higgins must have sensed the girl's frustration.

"You did wonderfully my dear. I shall have to steal you away from these two terrible men and take you shopping for your gown. There are some marvelous shops here."

Eliza mustered a polite smile, but she felt so increasingly angry every time she was around Henry. She looked for any sign of compassion in his eyes, but he struck her as cold and unfeeling. She often asked herself why she felt so frustrated by his demeanor, but she could not put a finger on it.

She politely ate her food, which was now cold. The gentleman went on the balcony to smoke cigars and the maids began cleaning up the table. Eliza sat, staring off into space. Mrs. Higgins reached over and touched her hand. Eliza was shocked. It was the first gesture of kindness she had received in some time.

"My dear, you do wonderfully. I'm sure they never tell you that, the inconsiderate dolts. But if it means anything, I think you are absolutely fantastic."

Eliza beamed. "It means the world to me, Mrs. Higgins."

The two ladies excused themselves. In her chambers, Eliza stood at the window, letting the cool breeze off the sea blow the curtains. She felt baffled and confused, not sure what course her life was taking. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the waves crash against the shoreline. Her thoughts turned towards Freddy and the letter he wrote to her. The words were beautiful and unlike anything anyone had ever written to her before, yet she didn't feel like she thought she should. She had always heard that falling in love was like getting a good fright. Your heart should skip beats and you should feel a dizzy euphoria. In regards to Freddy, she felt no so thing. He was handsome and a toff, this was true. Eliza reasoned that perhaps love grew over time, so she should wait and see how she felt as time went by.

It was also nice having someone compliment her for a change. So she pulled the letter out of her pocket and read it again.

_Eliza Darling,_

_I see myself in your eyes and long to take you in my arms and hold you for as long as there is breath in my body. You are a creation of Aphrodity _(the spelling error Higgins had noted). _Tell me you feel the same my darling. Write to me soon._

_Your beloved servant,_

_Freddy Eynsford-Hill_

Eliza folded up the paper and slipped it into her pocket. She sighed and turned down the covers. Perhaps she would dream of Freddy, or perhaps someone. Eliza pulled the covers to her chin and closed her eyes tightly, trying to conjure up her supposed beloved. Instead she fell promptly into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next few days consisted of mostly long boring lessons. Eliza's attention would drift towards the window, where she would stare out at the sea. Higgins noticed this and quickly pulled the curtains shut. She decided promptly that there was no man on earth, short of her father, that she despised as much as the Professor. They took meals in his suite and worked until nightfall.

Finally, the day came for Eliza to learn to dance. She had been dreading this from the beginning of the experiment. She had watched ladies dance before. They moved so effortlessly across the floor with arms braced as if they were porcelain. She never realized that looking so effortless required such work.

The Colonel was patient, but his gentility was not as effective for Eliza. He was too complimentary of her failed movements and her awkwardness. She felt terribly uneasy, and for someone who studied speech, The Colonel was often at a loss of words when he tried to explain to Eliza what she should have been doing. Eliza bore the cross silently.

When Higgins came in to observe the lesson he grew frustrated.

"Pickering, it looks as though you are leading a mule around."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Well, I'm only saying that it appears the girl isn't learning a thing. This is just a waltz, Eliza."

Eliza said nothing but stared at Higgins dumbfounded.

He sighed and placed his forehead in his hands. "Alright, Alright."

He waved Pickering away from the girl (which he gladly did as he was getting quite fatigued) and allowed Higgins to step in.

Henry stared at Eliza for a moment before pulling her close to him. He stopped for a brief moment to adjust the frame of her arms.

"Now. This is the simplest dance you will learn. It's also the most important. The music is in a ¾ time. The count is very simple and for the love of all that is Holy, you must let me lead you, as opposed to vice versa."

Eliza only absorbed half of what he said. She was far too uncomfortable being held by Henry in this manner. Why was this so different than when the Colonel led her around. As he stepped forwards, she moved backwards. There was no music, only the sound of Henry counting. "1...2...3 and 1...2...3..." Suddenly she was moving around the room. She refused to make eye contact with the Professor, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"Looking at your feet will not help you." He said softly

She finally mustered enough strength to stare directly into his eyes. She felt a warm burning in her cheeks and became very aware that she blushing. Finally he stopped moving and the moment was interrupted by applause from the Colonel.

"Very well done Miss Doolittle, very well done indeed."

Higgins nodded excitedly "By George, that was marvelous!" He let go of Eliza, but not before slapping her on the back as he would an old school chum.

"Perhaps we shall dine downstairs tomorrow and join in the dancing."

Higgins and Pickering began chatting amongst themselves, and Eliza tried to shake herself back to reality. It was the same sort of feeling she'd had when the danced in his study that evening nearly a week earlier. She was light-headed. She reasoned it was her nerves and the fact she was terrified of letting him down.

"I feel rather tired, Professor. I believe I will go lie down." Eliza excused herself

"Very well. Very well." Henry waved his hand at her without acknowledging her with his eyes.

Eliza bit her lip and walked across the hall quickly. She ran immediately to the bathroom and began running the tub full of steaming hot water. She disrobed and soaked herself in the steaming hot water, remaining in the tub until her fingers and toes wrinkled and her skin was a nice shade of pink. She stepped out of the tub and covered herself in her nightclothes and walked to her bed.

As she pulled the covers up to her chin she squinted her eyes tightly shut. She tried to picture Freddy in her head, trying to conjure up images of the two of them dancing together, but it was no use.

The face she saw was not Freddy's.

* * *

Higgins woke up in a very foul mood. He complained to anyone who listened about experiencing the most restless sleep he had in years. But no one paid any mind to him or refused to let him affect the altogether jovial mood they were all in. Eliza strolled in, humming a cheerful tune and sat down at the table and began reaching for the fresh fruit spread on the table.

Mrs. Higgins smiled at the girl "What say we all take a nice like promenade? We've yet to enjoy the town as a group."

"Quite right Higgins. You don't expect us to sit indoors all day? It's been nearly a fortnight."

Higgins sighed disgustedly, "You can do whatever you want. I'd say it is equally as relaxing to sit in here with a glass of port than it is to fight the crowds."

Eliza spoke "Well what good is a change of scenery, professor, if you do not go out of doors?" She sipped her tea.

Higgins stopped what he was doing and crossed his arms "Alright, alright."

He began to head back to his chamber when he paused and turned around quickly. He began to pat his pockets "Where on earth is my pipe?"

"Try the inside pocket of your robe." Eliza did not look at him. He went into his room and shoved his hand deep inside, to indeed ascertain that the pipe was exactly there.

He thought once about asking her how she knew these things, but decided to bite his lip. He would smoke later.

They met outside the hotel some hours later. Eliza and Mrs. Higgins both wore large hats to prevent the sun from beating down upon them. The two women joined arms and began walking down the seaside on the promenade deck. Eliza absorbed the sights; there were ladies and gents, children with large balloons, vendors selling sweet treats that filled the air with insatiable odors. It was like a dream. She thought of her friends back at Covent Garden 'If only they could see me now.' She smiled at the thought.

Higgins and Pickering followed behind chatting amongst themselves about the local slang, when Pickering excused himself to purchase some taffy. Mrs. Higgins followed suit (she had quite a sweet tooth) leaving Higgins and Eliza standing, overlooking the sea.

They said not a word to the other. Eliza adjusted her hat, which the sea breezes threatened to loosen at any moment. As they looked down, they both noticed a younger couple stealing kisses on the seashore. Eliza smiled. Most would have construed the behavior as scandalous, but she found it endearing and sweet. They did not have the restrictions of the upper class when it came to expressing that Eros love that Higgins made her about in the sonnets. Perhaps people would do better to simply act upon emotion instead of taking the time to speak or write it. Her thought process was interrupted by a chortle from the professor.

"Lot of tomfoolery." He mumbled, turning away from the scene below. Eliza smiled to herself, watching the two youngsters run away hand in hand.

Eliza stole a glimpse at the professor who was undoubtedly staring at something in the distance. He face was stoic, except for his eyes, which glistened whenever he thought about something. She turned her glance back out to the sea, watching the waves hit the shore. If only he would do something: turn his head towards her, step closer.

She asked herself why it mattered so much, but she stopped herself, afraid of where the line of questioning might lead. She simply focused on the sun reflecting off the sea and exhaled.

The Colonel and Mrs. Higgins returned, carrying small white boxes with them.

"The Colonel just suggested a marvelous idea. Let's all dine out tonight. The hotel clerk suggested several intimate restaurants. One of which has a large ballroom. We can try Eliza's newfound dancing skills out."

Mrs. Higgins and the Colonel began to march off, both anxious to eat the contents of the white boxes.

Eliza paused. She leaned towards the professor. "Do you really think this a good idea Professor? You do remember the last time you 'tried me out'?

Higgins snickered "My dear, you must have a little more faith in yourself."

Eliza raised an eyebrow at him. His words of encouragement were rare and far between. Eliza walked along side of him silently. She felt butterflies in her stomach once again at being forced to showcase her abilities.

At least that's why she reasoned she had butterflies.

Mrs. Higgins helped Eliza prepare for the evening. Despite having worn a large hat, Eliza's cheeks were tinged just the slightest pink from the sun. After an hour of trying on everything in the girl's wardrobe, the ladies settled on a simple pink dress with long lines and a flimsy material, which twisted with every move the girl made. Mrs. Higgins opened her jewelry case, loaning Eliza two very shiny, rose shaped earrings and a matching necklace.

The ladies made their way down to the car, through the lobby. Mrs. Higgins took Eliza's arm and instructed her on how to descend the stairs gracefully (without holding on to the railing). Colonel Pickering was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs.

"By George, both of you ladies look so wonderful. Heaven knows what I did to deserve to be this lucky." He offered one arm to each of them

"Oh Colonel Pickering, you are such a charmer. What won't you say too woo a lady... Where is my son?" Mrs. Higgins looked around

"Oh he'll be along. He was looking for something. His manuscripts."

'Top compartment of his suitcase.' Eliza thought to herself quietly.

Suddenly Higgins appeared at the top of the stairs "It was in the top part of my suitcase. Why the devil did I put it there?" He yelled boisterously, causing some of the ladies on the stairs to gasp at his choice of words.

Mrs. Higgins looked horrified "Henry, language!"

The Professor didn't seem to notice. "All right, let's get to dinner. I can't abide by all this standing around."

And he darted out the door without paying any further attention to his friends.

The restaurant was not far from the hotel. Higgins pouted because he reasoned they could've walked without having to pay the cab fare. As they descended the car they were greeted by a very prestigious looking building with ladies and gentleman exiting in and out.

They were quickly seated, as Pickering knew the owner very well from his days in the military. They ordered their meals, which had elaborate names that Eliza did not understand (but thankfully the Colonel ordered both Mrs. Higgins and Eliza's meals for them). Eliza had never seen so many well-behaved ladies and gents in one place. This was even larger than Ascot. The orchestra played many tunes and Eliza tapped her foot under the table to the beat. She was beginning to love dancing and she wished the Colonel or the Professor would take her off to the floor, but they seemed to be lost in conversation.

Mrs. Higgins saw someone she knew across the room and made a beeline for them to keep abreast of the latest gossip. Eliza was left at the table with two old gents who noticed she was there only when something came up in the conversation in regards to the experiment. When their meals came, Eliza found the food not completely pleasing. She took only small bites and sipped the bitter table wine.

Higgins seemed to feel the same. "For the amount they charge for the food, is it too much to ask to make it palatable?"

Eliza smiled at his complaint. She crossed her knife and fork across her plate, signaling that she was finished and stared down at her lap.

Suddenly, Eliza heard someone clear his throat behind her. There stood a tall, awkward looking man. She immediately recognized him from the family that Mrs. Higgins had been speaking too.

"Ah yes! Eliza this is Charles Worthington IV, he's a friend of the family and he wanted to ask you to dance." Mrs. Higgins introduced the nervous looking boy

"Friend of the family? I've never met him." Henry appeared annoyed

Mrs. Higgins shot Henry a look "Go on my dear."

Eliza politely smiled, but had no desire to dance with the young lad. But she feared the Professor's wrath if she refused the young man. So she took the young man's arm as he led her nervously around the floor.

7 or 8 songs later, Eliza had danced with all the Worthington men at least once, and felt herself grow weary. She excused herself out to the balcony to get some air. She grasped onto the railing and closed her eyes. She was exhausted and the shoes she wore were pinching her feet.

"I told you, you'd have men shooting themselves for your sake before this experiment was over."

Eliza turned and saw Henry standing in the door of the salon. She sighed. "You can have the entire lot."

Henry chuckled '"Well if it's any consolation, they've all left. I believe you are safe, but you were a success." He sipped from the glass in his hand and walked over to where she stood.

Higgins stared out at the sea and took a deep breath "Yes. I say we might well succeed at this whole thing."

His over confidence annoyed her. The band struck up a beautiful waltz melody and Eliza began humming along. Her feet were no longer aching and she hoped that Higgins would ask her to dance. She closed her eyes and waited for a moment. Higgins, as usual, was too self-absorbed to pay much attention to the girl. He set his glass down upon the railing and pulled a cigar from his coat pocket. He lit it and began smoking. Eliza opened her eyes and looked at him.

She stood for a few seconds, realizing that those feelings the she felt when they were dancing were entirely on her part alone. She felt such disappointment that she was sure if he had looked at her, he would have been able to tell. She tried to reason that she would be quite all right, but she could not fight the knot rising in her throat. She began to walk off but Henry's voice stopped her,

"Do you know where I left my calendar, Eliza?"

She did not turn around to face him. She took a deep breath and resigned herself to the fact that this is all their relationship would be. "I'd imagine you left it on your desk, under your correspondence."

She exited the balcony with all the panache she could manage.

* * *

The next day was dedicated to the creation of Eliza's back-story. Eliza was only half-interested. But Higgins drilled her anyway.

"What is your father's name?"

"Alfred Doolittle."

"And what does he do for his fortune?"

"He's a magistrate who inherited his wealth."

"And what is your family's legacy?"

"They were land-owners from the West, who doubled their fortune when they invested in the East Indian Trade Company."

Higgins and Pickering had been scouring through research for months, trying to find some notable Doolittles throughout history.

Eliza had not smiled the entire day. The gentleman had not noticed this, but Mrs. Higgins had observed her demeanor. She watched as the girl fetched and carried for her son, but as her son continually ignored her Mrs. Higgins came to a quick realization.

The girl was in love with her son. But her son was far too ignorant to realize this, of course. Mrs. Higgins had picked up how dependent Henry was on her, but as always he was far too proud and too stubborn to realize it.

'I wonder what he'll do when she leaves.' She wondered as she sipped her tea. The idea tickled her fancy. It would serve him right to have her leave him on his haunches.

Finally after the morning lesson winded down, Eliza announced that she was feeling quite low and desired to lie down. She left the room and Henry went back to his desk and began searching for his correspondence that Mrs. Pearce had forwarded him. He pulled a stack of letters from the top, all addressed to Eliza.

"Looks like the Eynsford-Hill boy has no better prospects for his time than to write to my pupil." He groaned and began to throw them into the wastebasket. Mrs. Higgins grabbed the letters from his hand.

"Oh Henry, really. Let the girl have an admirer."

" Oh Tosh. I will if a suitable one comes along. She deserves better than that half-wit school boy who is most in need of a dictionary."

Mrs. Higgins smiled. Her suspicions had been confirmed. Henry may have not been infatuated with the girl, but he was protective of her. Love was an emotion Henry had never fully given into, that was his way, but she saw some semblance of something in him. Perhaps he was merely possessive or perhaps his feelings were merely platonic, but it was _something_.

"I believe it's high time you give the girl a reward of some sort." Mrs. Higgins prompted her son.

"Mother, you talk about her as though she were a terrier."

"Oh come Henry. The girl has worked very hard with little more than a pat on the back. You should buy her a present."

"I think that's a reasonable idea, Higgins." Piped Pickering, who had been dozing on the couch.

"What in heaven's name does one buy a flower girl?"

"Jewelry?" Pickering suggested.

Henry again wondered how Pickering knew so much about women, first his knowledge about buying women's dresses and now this. Higgins then thought of all the silly women he knew and their behaviors in jewelry stores. He had hoped to keep Eliza from turning into one of them.

"Perhaps a little something. But I shall go get it alone." Higgins snapped his hat off the mantle and started to head out the door, he began feeling his coat pockets and realized he had misplaced his wallet. He sighed and walked across the hall to Eliza's door and began banging on it loudly.

"ELIZA?" he shouted

She opened the door drowsily. "Yes, Professor?"

"My wallet?" He asked dumbfounded

"3rd drawer of the dresser." She closed the door.

* * *

Higgins walked into the first jewelry store he came across in the string of shops nearby. It was full of ladies and nervous looking men. Higgins had no desire to linger any longer than necessary. He strolled confidently up to the counter and looked down at a selection of the rings. He saw a small one with a pearl in the center and two small diamonds on either side. It was simple and Higgins liked simplicity.

As soon as the clerk walked over and before he had a chance to offer his assistance, Higgins pointed to the ring. "I'll take that one in a hurry."

"Does it need to be sized sir?"

Higgins shrugged "How the devil should I know?"

The clerk look baffled but did as he was told. Higgins walked back briskly to the hotel, through the lobby and back up to Eliza's door.

He banged loudly on the door. Eliza answered clearly not fully awake. He handed her the bag awkwardly and walked into her suite. He sat down on the chaise lounge and propped his feet up.

"What's this?" she asked rubbing her eyes.

"A present of encouragement. My mother said it seemed you were most in need of one."

Eliza sat on the sofa across from him and opened the box. There sat the delicate little pearl ring on a small pillow. She smiled and slipped it easily on her ring finger. As she held extended her hand from her body, the ring promptly fell off and landed in the floor. It was far too large. She bit her lip and looked at the professor, who had witnessed the event. He groaned and stood up.

"Come along then, Come along." He motioned for her to follow him.

She quickly picked up the ring and grabbed her hat off the hat rack and followed a few feet behind him. She held onto the ring very tightly, afraid of dropping something so small and precious. They marched down the hallway, through the lobby, onto the street and back to the jewelry store.

The clerk immediately recognized Higgins when he came in.

"Problem with the ring, sir?"

"It's too big for the girl."

The clerk stifled a laugh. "I can have it sized for the lady, very easily."

Higgins paced around nervously as the clerk fitted Eliza's ring and took it into the back. Finally after nearly an hour the clerk returned and slipped the perfectly proportioned ring onto Eliza's finger.

She admired the ring. In truth she had worn nothing so fine on her hand. She liked how the diamonds caught the light from the windows. Thanking the clerk, the two of them ducked back out onto the street. The sky was turning cloudy, vendors began to pack up and boats began returning to the shoreline.

"I believe it's going to rain." Eliza said softly.

"You've a natural gift for stating the obvious. Well there is no point in trying to beat the rain back to the hotel. We might as well dine out in town." Higgins began looking around.

"You aren't dressed for dinner Professor." She gestured towards his three-piece suit, which he seemed to have a myriad of.

"Well neither are you, so I guess we'll have to starve if we aren't dressed for the establishment."

Eliza smiled. She had a better idea.

"Ice cream for dinner?" The professor asked as he finished paying for the bowls they were eating.

"And why not? You can order something more substantial when we return to the hotel?"

Eliza chose a seat next to the window. They were the only two customers in the small parlor, which had a lovely view of the seaside. The sky was pitch black and the rain was causing the waves to crash in turmoil.

"What a lovely view." The professor said sarcastically

Eliza had chosen a dish of chocolate and mint and she relished every bite of it on her tongue. They didn't say much more to each other, other than watching the storm slowly pass. The setting sun finally peaked back around the clouds and the two walked back to the hotel side by side.

"Thank you for my ring." Eliza said appreciatively, knowing that any sign of kindness on his part (whether provoked by his mother or not) was incredibly difficult for him.

"Oh? It was nothing." Higgins found himself strangely embarrassed. He cleared his throat and held the lobby door open for her.

There in the lobby, stood Mrs. Higgins and the Colonel.

"There are our youngsters! We were almost ready to send a search party." The Colonel raised his arms up to motion them over.

"Wherever did you go in this weather?" Mrs. Higgins asked curiously

"We had ice cream." Eliza smiled

Higgins closed his eyes. He braced himself for his mother's coy response.

"Oh, _really_?" Mrs. Higgins asked staring at her son, "how lovely?"

The Colonel noticed the awkward pause "Well Higgins, I do hope the next time you decide to go for an impromptu dessert you will invite the rest of us! I've ordered some meals up to our suite."

Higgins nodded, thankful for the subject change.

* * *

After another intense morning review, Mrs. Higgins kidnapped Eliza and took her shopping for her gown for the embassy ball. Mrs. Higgins was a kind old woman and she had taken to Eliza very strongly. Colonel Pickering and Higgins both excused themselves from going.

"Send me the bill when you are finished." The Colonel commanded "I will leave this in your expert hands Mrs. Higgins."

The two ladies climbed into the motorcar and set off.

"Excuse me Mrs. Higgins, but where are we going?" Eliza asked curiously.

"Only to the best French shop in England. I don't trust matters of important dress to the English."

Eliza sighed, relieved to be out of the reaches of the Colonel and Professor for a while. They drove for nearly a half hour to a large building in the center of the town. Mrs. Higgins and Eliza climbed out of the car and poor Eliza almost immediately felt out of place. She followed Mrs. Higgins into the shop where immediately one of the sales girls recognized the matriarch.

"_Madame 'Iggins!"_ The two ladies gave air kisses to the other.

Eliza nearly choked. 'The French Ladies drop their H's too? How absurd that everyone thinks they are so well-bred. If only the professor were here to listen to this.' She thought to herself amused.

They lead Eliza upstairs to a room surrounded by mirrors and small couches.

Suddenly the ladies of the house began carrying dress after dress upstairs for Eliza to purvey.

One girl took Eliza's measurements while the other attempted to have a conversation with the girl.

"_Quel est votre couleur préférée_ _mon chère?_"

Eliza's mouth dropped open and she stared at Mrs. Higgins, who was enjoying a glass of champagne on the sofa. She realized Eliza needed a translator.

"Oh! Favorite Colour, Eliza?"

"It's not important."

"I'll decide for you." Mrs. Higgins turned to the French girls running around

_"Nous voudrions quelque chose en blanche ou noir."_

_"Eh, bien." _The two shop assistants ran downstairs.

Mrs. Higgins waited until the two women disappeared from sight and then whispered. "I assure you they speak English very well, only they pretend not to in order to seem more sophisticated. It's a cunning trick they play."

The two girls returned with an armload of dresses in blacks and whites. Each more frilly than the other. The French ladies constantly reassured Eliza with a promise that "_C'est à la mode",_ but Eliza had no clue what that meant. She grew frustrated wishing that she could be unladylike for just a second and hiss at the French girls for not speaking English.Eliza felt more hopeless with each gown she tried.

"What is the matter my dear?" Mrs. Higgins asked Eliza as she made her way through each gown

"These are far too ornate for me Mrs. Higgins. I feel like I disappear in each of these." She said as she poked a ruffle around the collar of the current style she was wearing.

"I see." Mrs. Higgins turned to the assistants.

"_Quelque chose... plus simple."_

They disappeared and returned with a white gown, the fabric of which appeared to be a delicate silk of some variety. It had very little beading and when she tried it on under the lights, it glistened. The gown clung to her frame showing off her handsome figure. She turned to Mrs. Higgins who nodded her head in approval.

_"C'est ça." _Mrs. Higgins raised her wine glass

The two French women smiled in agreement.

As the youngest helped Eliza down, she noticed the ring on her finger.

"_Oh la la! C'est une tr_ès _jolie bague, n'est pas? Qui est sa fiancé?"_

Eliza heard the word fiancé, one of the few French words she knew. She started to look down at the French girl to correct her, but Mrs. Higgins stepped in before she had a chance to answer.

"_Mon fils, Henry_." Mrs. Higgins stated with a wicked smile. Eliza caught her eye and felt herself blush. The words Henry and fiancé, in the same dialogue were enough to make her uncomfortable.

Mrs. Higgins nonchalantly sipped her glass of wine.

* * *

They remained in Brighton another two weeks, learning dances, drilling her table manners and reviewing titles of nobility when finally the time came to return to London. The ball was in three days and preparations needed to be made. Eliza was sad to be leaving the comfort of their '_petite vacance'_ (Mrs. Higgins had taught her a few French phrases should she ever need to use them), but she was anxious to return to London despite the fear of the impending ball.

The ride back to 27A Wimpole Street took hours. Eliza slept peacefully part of the way home, as did Mrs. Higgins. The two gentleman quietly chatted for a while. As Eliza slowly began to wake up, she overheard part of a conversation between them.

"Do you really think she is ready for the embassy, Higgins?" Colonel Pickering asked softly.

Higgins paused momentarily and then answered "I truly believe she is."

Eliza smiled softly. It was the most affirmative thing he had ever said about her.

The day of the ball came and servants entered left and right precariously. The women teamed up to decorate the girl, style her hair, and dress her in her fine French gown. Mrs. Higgins stopped by early in the day to bring Eliza some chocolate as well as some encouraging words. But she herself had to return home and prepare for the festivities.

Neither the Professor nor Pickering called upon her during the day. They both worried about upsetting her delicate nerves. But the Colonel did have a beautiful arrangement of roses sent upstairs to her. Mrs. Pearce curled and set Eliza's hair and painted her face. Eliza stepped in front of her full-length mirror in her robe and stared at her reflection. She admired herself and her deep red lips. She didn't clean up badly after all. She wrinkled her nose and smiled at herself.

"Now for the dress." She said confidently and Mrs. Pearce and the ladies sprung into action, until Eliza was dressed from head to toe.

Mrs. Pearce stepped back and admired Eliza. "Oh me! You look simply lovely Eliza"

There was a soft tap at the door. The butler opened it and whispered. "The car is here Miss Doolittle."

Eliza turned began to walk out the door when suddenly she gasped. She scurried back over to her dresser and searched through her jewelry box until she found the ring that Higgins had bought her. She took off her glove and slipped the small pearl onto her finger. It brought her strange comfort and she smiled, slipping her glove back over her hand.

She descended the stair slowly and both gentlemen stood at attention when she came to the foot of the stairwell. She enjoyed their reaction.

The Colonel rushed over "Miss Doolittle, you look beautiful."

She smiled radiantly as the Colonel continued, "Don't you think so, Higgins?"

Henry circled around Eliza, studying her as he would a piece of fine art "Not bad, not bad at all." He nodded his head and patted her on the shoulder.

She sighed. It was a typical reaction from him, but in a strange way, it comforted her. That was his way after all. One of the housemaids helped her into her wrap. Higgins returned from the study and grabbed his hat and gloves from the attendant. He began to head towards the door, but something stopped him. He turned around to see Eliza standing there fumbling with her wrap, trying hard to maintain her composure. Higgins admired her for a brief second and before he knew what he was doing he walked back to where she was standing. Eliza looked up at him. They made eye contact for a brief moment as she searched in his for some motive behind his action. Higgins smiled knowingly at her, eyes glistening and offered his arm to her. Eliza's heart skipped a beat. She exhaled and began to smile back, hesitating for a brief moment before taking his arm gratefully and heading out into the chilly London night.


End file.
